Megan

Taking care of business: Megan getting ready to leave the Lady Lam studio with a Saponika Soap purchase in tow, wearing a gorgeous coat that I want so badly!

Kayla O.

My beautiful client Kayla!

No Double Dipping

I wanted to share a recent (and valid) concern that was brought up by a client who read a magazine article about contaminated wax/spread of STDs via waxing. There may be many people out there who have similar concerns, so please read!

Lady Lam response:
I practice the utmost sanitary practices in my waxing protocol. And in the many years of being in pracatice, no one has ever contracted any such diseases from waxing. I take pride in using a fresh wax stick per dip into my wax pot. I NEVER double-dip the used end of my wax stick into the pot (EVER). I use a fresh stick each time, so when I spread wax on a client, the next dip is with a fresh stick. My wax pots are pure as they can be as a result - just as good as a fresh wax pot. Herpes, HPV (warts), etc are all sexually transmitted diseases that can only happen from sexual, skin to skin contact resulting from the bacterial exchange of bodily fluids. I have never heard of a case where these diseases were spread via contaminated wax pot. But because cleanliness is paramount at Lady Lam, I take all precautions to ensure there is no cross contamination of bacteria at my practice. Many other spas double dip (I've seen them) it's gross - but I don't do that.

My Birthday Party

My recent birthday party was a blast, as you can see, it was a raging great time.

Manhattan Straight Up

This is one of my favorite drinks. They serve them perfectly at Dad Watson's.

Paper Sundae

I found this crazy paper sundae at a vintage store in Fremont and it made me laugh, but more importantly...it looked so real and delicious, so I took a photo of it.

Carol

My beautiful client Carol having a blast at Wild Ginger at her birthday party. Check out those sexy eyes.

Art of Garlic

Roasted garlic, with blue cheese.

Goodwill Geek

I discovered a goodwill store near my studio. The merchandise is not terribly picked over. I enjoy the diverse clientele and there aren't too many unruly children running around at this particular branch. Make sure to always check the lingerie rack to find vintage pieces suitable for going out. Avoid overwhelming your closet, new purchases warrant a donation of old items to make space. If you have an item you haven't worn in more than 6 months, it's time to donate it.

Rubattino's in Renton

I enjoyed lunch at Rubattino's in Renton a few days ago with some old Boeing friends. The clientele is made up of a bunch of old guys with messy hair and lumberjack shirts, and if you're an infrequent guest at this establishment, you can bet you'll make some nice new friends right away. The waitstaff always takes good care of people and they're always en pointe with their coffee warmups. We met up to celebrate my birthday which was last month, and I received a half-rack of Mickey's Malt Liquor and a bottle of Grey Goose, which should last me about three days. I highly recommend Rubattino's hamburgers. And it's best with a glass of red wine. Don't let the smokers who loiter outside of the restaurant scare you from visiting. They look CRAZY, but they're really sweet, their stories are cool and they don't smell bad. The feeling you get as a patron at these smaller, indy cafes is so unique - and they never greet you by saying, "Hi, welcome, can I start you off with some strawberry lemonade, some onion blooms, a half-rack of ribs, some cheese sticks or a beer?" (All said with no eye contact) Listen, if I wanted all that, I'd tell you. Just give me a Manhattan straight up for now, and we'll be cool, and don't try to upsell me again. But anyway, the historical charm and sweet nature of Rubattino's is really fantastic.

Saponika Soaps Available

Here's a list of the Saponika Soap varieties that are available right now (as of January 2009)at Lady Lam Skin Care:

Paris Apartment
Spa
Cafe Vert
Sea Kelp

Saponika Soap bars are handmade in small batches using the finest ingredients and dried botanicals from our own garden. Each bar is 3.95 or 15% off when you purchase three or more.

Lash Extensions

Here are a few examples of my work. For more information, please check out my website at christinelamskincare.com

The initial full set takes about 90 minutes. Please wait 24 hours before getting your lashes wet. You can wear make up, but keep mascara on the tips and use an oil-free eyemakeup remover. If you choose to keep up your eyelashes, you want to consider a lash refill every 3 weeks. Or you can simply let them fall off over time, which takes up to 6 weeks. When you let them fall out on their own, your natural lashes will look super small because you've been so acustomed to seeing the extensions which maximizes the volume dramatically.

Yellow Blousson

I found this pretty yellow number at a vintage shop in Seattle and I just had to have it. The ruffles on the shoulders look silly, but it drapes perfectly and is super comfortable. Rifling through the lingerie racks can be so much fun. You never know what sweet things you can find!

Thrift Stores

You really have to be in the mood for this type of shopping. You can't be angry, hungover or hungry - I've tried, and it never works. My secret is to NOT carry a bag or anything heavy. You must have both arms working, because there's so much digging to do. Just crumple up a wad of cash and a good lip gloss in the back pocket of your jeans and head to your nearest thrift shop.

Because fashion trends traditionally get recycled, you can reliably predict that current trends pay homage to some aspect of fashion from 20 years ago. In the 1990s bell bottoms were made popular again when everyone vowed never to revisit the 70's. And recently, high-waisted denim is all the rage just when it was thought that mom jeans were a thing of the 80's. The coolest thing about thrift stores is that fashion from so many decades are always available, so you never have to spend a fortune to have fun with trends while still being frugal and unique.

Crescent Spice Factory

I love visiting thrift stores and antique shops to get inspired and to collect old relics that evoke nostalgia from my childhood. I found an old Crescent-brand tin of nutmeg at a thrift store in the Tri Cities while on holiday a few years ago because it reminded me of the old Crescent factory in Seattle that permeated the air with such a heady rainbow of fragrance. As a young kid riding with my dad to Chinatown for dim sum at (the now defunct) King Cafe, the Crescent factory aroma signaled good food was nearby.